Why Merlin Should Be Allowed to Sleep
by Shadow-StrikeRaven
Summary: No sleep, a headache, sore after an hour of training and now stuck in a meeting with Arthur and the entire council? Merlin just wants to go to bed... Then Morgana arrives with some powerful sorcerers, as she often does, and attempts to take over Camelot. Again, as she often does. The result? Reveal, BAMF Merlin, reading, cheering and Waddling Lords. Request for Percabeth4eva.


_**Could you maybe do a fic where Merlin reveals all when Morgana attacks Arthur in the middle of a meeting with the council/round table? **_

**Okay, this was a request from Percabeth4eva, and I figured What the hell? I have to get back into Merlin mode somehow, and what better way to do it than with a Cliche BAMF reveal, with my own little twist? Lol :D (A rather crackish twist, as many of my regular readers will have no doubt guessed :D ) And yup, this is most assuredly going to be crack, but if you want another fic done, Percabeth, with a more serious feel to it, then just let me know and I'll do it as soon as I get the chance :D  
Enjoy!**

* * *

Merlin stifled a yawn.  
He was tired, he had a headache, he had spent all morning being pelted with swords during 'training' (aka Let's Beat Up Merlin! Hour...) and, worst of all, he was now in a meeting with Arthur, the council and with no Gwaine to share sarcastic remarks with.  
Hmm... This pillar really was comfy- NO! Damn it, if he just stayed awake for one more hour...  
But it was so dull... Merlin tuned back into the conversation to see if it had evolved into anything interesting.  
_Arthur: So are you saying we have to raise the grain intakes for-  
Sir whatever his name is: Yes Sire, but in such a way as-  
Sir Whatever his name's in arch nemesis: I disagree! It is more important to replace the various weakened structures within the stables than to simply increase the yada yada of the influx of silk and yada yada trade with the apples and yada yada oh lets do more to make Arthur's life even more dull than it is already._  
Okay, so it had not evolved into anything interesting. If anything, it had devolved into something even less interesting than before... At least Merlin actually cared about the influx of horses to the stables... Seeing as he would no doubt be helping to clean them out...  
But seriously?  
Three months.  
Three months of meetings, no attacks from anything even faintly evil and magical... Merlin would even have settled for a rogue Wryvern in the town square, but nope.  
_

He meeting had just concluded, and Arthur was just about to dismiss the council when a huge explosion sounded and Morgana appeared in the doorway through a puff of smoke, before clicking her fingers and forcing everyone to sit in their chairs again.  
"Hello Brother dear... Long time no see-"  
"Morgana! You have no-"  
"Oh Brother, I have every right to-"  
"Oh, for the love of Camelot..."

Everyone in the room turned to stare, incredulous, at Merlin, who was leaning against the pillar, arms crossed and clearly trying not to roll his eyes.  
"Yes Arthur, she is here to destroy everyone and claim Camelot for her own, placing herself on the throne and thereby bringing magic back to the land! Yes Morgana, you are going to fail, like every other time you've tried. Okay, are we sorted now? Can I finally go to bed-"  
"Merlin... I had forgotten how refreshing it was to hear such... Callous disregard for etiquette."  
"Then maybe you should have come sooner? Say... Before I had to suffer through-" he gulped dramatically, and whispered to her in a stage whisper, "three hours of debate on horses, grain, harvesting, more horses and apples?"  
Arthur stifled a snort, but Morgana caught it.  
"You find this situation amusing, Arthur?"  
"Mildly."  
"Then maybe we should remedy that-"  
"Oh, by the love of the Old Religion, that was so cliché!"  
"I... What?"  
"Did you really have to attempt, and fail at, I might add, A witty response? Why not.. I dunno... Blast a chandelier or shatter windows or create a storm or...something to make your point?"  
Morgana stared at him, blinking.  
"First you curse in the name of the Old Ways, then you show an understanding of the ways of magic?"  
"Lived in Camelot for seven years. Spent half the time chasing after his royal Pratness. You pick things up."  
"... Well. As nice as this chat has been, I'm afraid I have an agenda, and you are not part of it... And neither does my brother-"  
"You lay a single hand on him, Morgana, and you'll regret it."  
"Oh really?" She smirked.  
It was the smirk that did it.  
Merlin hated that smirk...  
He was tired, bored, had a headache, several bruises forming from the training earlier, and he was really not in the mood for dancing about right now.  
"Yeah. Really. I have it on good authority that Emrys is really not in the mood for your games... Or a fight... Or, well... You. In general."  
Morgana had flinched at the name, and blasted a jet of light at him, causing him to slow time and effortlessly, and with a lot of grace he might add, sway out of it's path.  
He did the same with the next half a dozen she sent, before making a pointed yawn.  
"Look, as much as I would like to do this all day, I'm afraid I have better things to do. Like sleep."

During this, everyone sat a the table had been gaping at Merlin, Arthur especially, and the knights, who had rushed up only to find wards on the door, were peeking around the huge door and were likewise stunned, but grinning.  
Morgana gave a scream of frustration, and sent more blasts at Merlin, who proceeded to dodge them in the exact same way as before, this time taking an apple from his pocket and eating it whilst doing so, giving Morgana's blasts tutting and shakes of the head.  
The sound of applause and appreciative whoops were coming from the doorway, where Leon, Gwaine, Percival, Elyan, Bedivere, Tristan, Gavyn and Gwen's heads were visible, one above the other.  
Merlin grinned at them, dodging another blast and giving a flourishing bow, whilst also dodging yet another blast, and then blinked as Morgana finally stopped.  
"Why am I fencing with a mere servant?"  
Cries of outrage form Arthur, Gwen and the Knights.  
"I can solve this in a much easier fashion..."  
She sent a huge wave of magic out, and everyone in the room, and outside the door it would seem, was frozen in place, the council and Arthur not being able to move from their seats, and Gwen and the knights not being able to move from their spot by the door.  
Morgana gave a triumphant laugh.  
"Let's see you get out of that one Merlin!"  
Merlin blinked and sighed, shaking his head at her.  
"Amateur..."  
"W-WHAT!?"  
"Hey, Arthur? Sorry about this. I would put more effort into not... well, making this so obvious, I really would... But I honestly can't be bothered-"  
"What is the meaning of this!?" Morgana screeched, interrupting, and calling out a spell, making several more sorcerers appear. "No matter... I have with me the seven most powerful sorcerers, aside from myself, in the land!"  
Simply to prove a point, the others created a huge wall of fire, and did some ridiculously over-showy magical acrobatics, before bowing to Morgana, who smirked at Merlin.  
"Like I said, get out of this one Merlin."  
Arthur gave him an odd look, which actually seemed to say _'Go on then, this I have to see..._' in such a way that told Merlin Arthur _actually _thought he _could_, and _easily_... But... What? Why would he think-  
"Ah, I see the faithful little lapdog is finally out of tricks?"  
Merlin turned to glare at her, before rolling his eyes, honestly having had enough of... well. Everything.  
"Nope. And please? A simple fixture incantation? Beginner's level magic Morgana. Now, what you really want, is something subtle. Say... The counter incantation, but said non verbally?"

Merlin's eyes flashed gold, and he skipped form the spot.  
"See? So much more effective. Ha! Look! I finally shut them all up! Err... Sir Drevyn? Arthur...? I think he's hyperventilating-"  
"No surprises there, _Mr All Powerful Sorce_- MERLIN! WATCH OUT!"  
Merlin blinked at Arthur's warning, before he deftly hopped out of the way of the blast aimed at him, scoffing.  
He was Emrys! With magic _freely_ flowing through him, having _finally_ been allowed to run _unrestrained,_ throughout his body!  
"Seven most powerful, eh? Let's see what you've got... ARTHUR!"  
Merlin threw up a shield, as Morgana, sensing something had shifted in the room, sent a curse at Arthur, and the spell bounded off of it, leaving the king unharmed.  
Magic seemed to suddenly permeate the room, and the sorcerers all turned to the source of it...  
Merlin was stood there, eyes molten gold, wind whipping around him and highlighted by a huge storm that had just that moment formed outside the window with his arms crossed, glaring at them.  
"Big. Mistake."

Gwaine was sniggering as he saw the sorcerers take a step back, visibly trembling, and matched Elyan's high five.  
"Mate, I've never seen him that angry... Hey! Magic man! MORE SHOWY!"  
Merlin sent him a good natured glare, eyes still gold, and smirked.  
"Showy? Like with... Blasts?"  
He sent one at one of the sorcerers, lifting him off of his feet and sending him flying into the far wall and subsequently falling into a heap on the floor.  
"And... Weird mystical sparkles?"  
He waved his hand, almost lazily, and another of the sorcerers was encased in a shimmering bubble. When it fell, a couple of moments later, he was running in circles, yelling about the killer butterflies in the living bread.  
Merlin himself blinked at that.  
"Huh... One of the strangest reactions to that particular spell that I've ever seen."  
He was about to continue taking them down, when one of the council members spoke up.  
"You're a sorcerer!? EVIL! SOMEBODY GET HIM!"  
Everyone in the room sent him incredulous looks, from Morgana, who blinked at the fact that she had failed to take over a city with idiots such as this in control of it, to other magic hating members of the council, who found they really didn't seem to mind the-rather nice and polite and amusing young lad if they had to confess- young lad having magic.  
Merlin blinked at him, then shrugged.  
"Okay then." He turned to the sorcerers. "Sorry guys. Turns out I'm evil, which would imply I'm on the same side as you. My apologies for the inconvenience. Continue with your hostile and-now that I'm evil and not going to fight you- most likely to succeed take over."  
Then he carelessly plonked himself down on a chair, boots up on the table, and started whistling idly to himself, conjuring up a book entitled 'Magical Beasts and Where to Find Them'.  
_

After a few minutes, Morgana tentatively started to do her classic 'How I intend to take over the world' speech and, when Merlin did not interrupt her, continued it with a smirk.  
"Look at that... You've driven away the strongest magic user who has ever lived or who ever will live, and who has saved all of your lives and this city more times than you could possibly comprehend... I do not know why it took him so long to break away from such undeserving recipients of his magic-"  
"Hey! Arthur! Look, it says here that Wryverns like charcoal! Who'd have thought... Hmm, I wonder if I could use that next time, instead of instructing them in the dragon tongue..."  
He fell to musing, whilst whistling, and Morgana blinked before continuing, grabbing Arthur's attention back as he contemplated that.  
"SUCH undeserving recipients of his magic... Especially ones who have, without a moments hesitation, condemned his kind to-"  
"So, wait... I thought only Dragonlords can speak the Dragon Tongue? But Balinor was the last of them..."  
Merlin nodded, shrugging at Arthur and ignoring Morgana.  
"Uhuh, true. But Balinor was my father. When he died, his gift passed on to me... Oh, and I should probably point out that the Sidhe are terrified of me, the Lady of the Lake happens to be my girlfriend and the Druids want me to be their over lord or some such... I swear destiny seems to have never heard of the term overkill-"  
"IF YOU WILL EXCUSE ME!?"  
Merlin blinked as he turned back to Morgana, then blinked.  
"Oh, sorry. By all means, fellow evil magic user, astound us with your ingenious plot..."

He returned to his book, and everyone, aside from Arthur who had noticed the slight gleam in Merlin's eye and knew he was up to something, stared at him incredulously. He was just going to let Morgana take over the place?  
One of the lords voiced this.  
"You cannot be intending to allow Morgana to take over Camelot?"  
"Why not? I'm evil, remember? Magic and al that?"  
"Well... Yes, but... but... You have the power to stop this!"  
"Uhuh. But, to be perfectly honest, I have done so so many times since I came to Camelot... Heck, do you know how many times I bargained my life away or got poisoned or got stabbed or got buried beneath a wall or got hit with spells or got enchanted or had to riddle with dragons or had to... Actually, the list just goes on. I honestly cannot be bothered to even start it... Now, if you'll excuse me? There is an interesting page on the logic of dragons..."  
Merlin once again became absorbed in his reading, and the lords all shared looks, before looking to Arthur, who was watching Merlin with a raised eyebrow.  
"Merlin?"  
"Sire?" Merlin replied without looking up, using Magic to turn the page as he did so.  
"Where on Earth did you get that book? Does it have anything in there on Cockatrice?"

Merlin hmm'ed, magically bookmarking his page, and dumped it on the table, using magic to skim through it, ridiculously quickly, before slamming his hand down to stop it.  
"Yep, Oh look, apparently they don't like Poisoned Ivy! I'll have to test that... Here."  
He slid the book over to Arthur, before releasing him from the spell Morgana had on him so he could grab it.  
"Oh yeah... Could be an interesting experiment..."  
"Oi!" This was Gwaine, and Merlin, now book-less, raised an eyebrow to him.  
"Yeah?"  
"Mind releasing us from this thing too?"  
Morgana, who, up till then had been stood exchanging bemused glances with her accomplices, spoke up.  
"That is impossible. The power of seven created this spell, the most potent magical number, and the power of seven must be used to undo it. To have released a single one of you was impressive enough, but even the famous Emrys cannot- What!?"  
This was in response to Merlin clicking his fingers, releasing everybody, without so much as a wince at the amount of power it must have taken, and Morgana stared at him disbelieving, before she turned to the oncoming knights and used a magical blast to send the seven of them into a wall, where they fell to the floor, dazed.  
The lords all scrambled backwards, and the sorcerers did the same as Merlin leapt to his feet.  
"Oh, Bad Move. Nobody, and I mean _nobody_, hurts the people I care about."  
Morgana, seeming to have momentarily forgotten the impressive magical display from only a few seconds prior, scoffed.  
"What can you do Merlin? There are eight of us... And there is only one of you."  
"Correction. There are seven very nervous and one very overly self assured you's, and one extremely pissed off and, incidentally, powerful me."  
"Ha, we shall see... GET HIM!"  
_

They tried. They really did... But when you stand between Emrys and somebody he is trying to get to... Well...  
One of the sorcerers was thrown upwards and came to rest hanging upside down from the chandelier. One got thrown into a pillar, with so much force that it promptly toppled and knocked another to the floor, who had barely thrown up a shield in time to protect himself... He managed to pull himself out from the debris and stand up, only to get lifted up alongside one of his fellows and get thrown onto the table, where they collapsed in a tangled mess of limbs and groans.  
One of them was blasting at Merlin, who was lazily dodging as he had a heated argument with another about the fact that he was, most definitely, _not _the one responsible for making daisies and buttercups and roses and various other flowers blossom all through Morgana's palace... He had simply suggested it and lent someone a hand with a gardening job a while ago...  
He eventually seemed to tire of the conversation, however, and threw the sorcerer into the one blasting at him, before sending them both tumbling out of a window. They would be fine... It was only two floors up... Right?  
Merlin blinked as a blast hit his shield, and turned to see that Morgana and the remaining sorcerer had teamed up to send a blast at him. He let his shields take care of the first one, before he caught the second one in his palm, split it into three, added his own power to the mix, and sent them flying back, one at Morgana, one at her partner and one at the sorcerer who had attempted to blast at him from the chandelier.  
It had been over in a matter of seconds.  
Seven sorcerers, all in varying degrees of consciousness, were strewn about, and Morgana had vanished in a puff of smoke.  
Merlin sent a wave of healing magic over the knights, grinning as they all dizzily got to heir feet, before sitting back down in his chair, placing his boots back on the table, and summoning his book back, finding his bookmarked page and continuing as if nothing had ever happened, not even a hair out of place or a rumple in his neckerchief to show that he had just taken on eight of the most powerful magic users in the land and won without even breaking a sweat.  
His hand twirled idly whilst he was reading, binding the sorcerers and fixing the damage in the room, before he raised an eyebrow, looking up as one of the lords demanded that the knights arrest him.

The knights all shared a look, and, as one, threw their hands up, Gwaine speaking for all of them.  
"Sorry, but I want to keep my body in it's current pain free state."  
"Ha, so you admit he could attack you!?"  
Merlin rolled his eyes, yawning again, and picked his book up, getting to his feet.  
"Nope. I would simply do this."  
He vanished, then reappeared at the other end of the room, right next to the door.  
"See? So much more simple this way. Anyway, why don't I leave you all sort out the whole 'Dynamic of Camelot' thing, whilst I go and do something which is much more worthy of my time?"  
"Such as?"  
"Honestly Arthur, there's this thing called sleep."  
"And for an a powerful Sorcerer you complain an awful lot about the lack of it."  
"Warlock. I was born with Magic, so the term is Warlock. Kilgarrah ranted at me for three hours when I made that mistake. And I have a good reason for complaining. I slept all of three hours last night!"  
"Kilgarrah?"  
"The Great Dragon."  
"But he... I don't even want to know. And wait what do you mean born with-"  
"Long story. Short version? Born with magic, came to Camelot, saved all your asses far too many times and, most importantly? Am now heading off to get some sleep. And no Gwaine. I'm not getting you a pet unicorn or a never-ending mug of ale."  
Gwaine pouted, about to complain, when Merlin span on the spot and vanished.  
_

It was silent for a few moments, until Leon cleared his throat and spoke up.  
"So... Cockatrice hunting on Friday?"  
A chorus of affirmations, and the knights and Arthur-Gwen having vanished to see Gaius as soon as Merlin had revealed his magic- left the room, debating Cockatrice hunting techniques, discussing how much easier this would make life and figuring out just how much they owed Merlin, leaving behind a stunned group of lords, who stared at each other for a few seconds before, literally, sprinting- and, in some cases, waddling- from the room to spread the news.

* * *

**Yeah, not my best piece, but I wrote this in the space of an hour and a half, so that has to count for something, right?  
Anyways, hoped you enjoyed, and please leave a review to let me know whether you enjoyed! Even if it's just a thumbs up or down :D**


End file.
